Rob Ford's campaign team fired off a shot at the retiring councillor Wednesday demanding Rae resign for billing taxpayers for a reception Monday at the Rosewater Supper Club.

"The party continues at city hall and this time Kyle Rae is the one with the party hat on," Ford charged in a campaign press release. "It's time to put a stop to this gravy train and the first step is for Kyle Rae to return all of the taxpayers' dollars he spent on his lavish party, and the second step is for him to tender his resignation, immediately."

Ford and Rae are no strangers to trading barbs.

Reached at city council Wednesday, Rae offered a blunt but well-crafted rebuttal to Ford.

"Who cares what Rob Ford thinks?" he said.

While he wouldn't speak to the Sun on Monday about his gourmet goodbye, Rae did tell the Sun's Jonathan Jenkins on Tuesday that he felt his constituents had effectively paid for such an event since he had handed over a $25,000 cheque to the city four years ago - money he raised in excess of the spending limit for his re-election campaign - and he didn't put out a newsletter this year.

Ford - notorious for spending as little as possible of his council office budget - has vowed to slash councillors' expense accounts if elected.

"This is yet another example of how politicians abuse the public purse for their own ego by giving your money to their friends," Ford said. "What makes Rae's actions even worse is his criticism of the Toronto Sun questioning him about the party. This councillor clearly does not want to be held accountable for his actions."